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List of cultural references to Grand Central Terminal describes the many appearances of this photogenic New York City landmark in pop culture as one of the classic Manhattan experiences.
The terminal is seen in films such as North by Northwest, Chronos, Men in Black, Carlito's Way, Extreme Measures, K-PAX, Madagascar, and is prominently featured in two 1940s MGM films, The Clock and Grand Central Murder. In Terry Gilliam's 1991 The Fisher King, Grand Central commuters burst into a spontaneous waltz. The front of the terminal is seen in the opening scenes of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
In fiction, atomic pioneer Leo Szilard (one of the senior researchers on the Manhattan Project) wrote a short story entitled "Grand Central Station", about alien scientists who explore Grand Central Station as part of their mission to learn how life on Earth became extinct. A highly-regarded novel, By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, was written by Elizabeth Smart, in 1945. Several short stories, such as "The Third Level" by Jack Finney, describe abandoned sections of Grand Central that lead the protagonists into adventure.
A dramatic radio program called "Grand Central Station" was broadcast from 1937 through 1995, beginning on the NBC Radio Blue Network, and opening with the words, "As a bullet seeks its target, shining rails in every part of our great country are aimed at Grand Central Station, heart of the nation's greatest city." Although the Terminal's place in culture may be shifting,[1] it has nevertheless had an imprint of everything from television to pillows.
Other cultural references edit
Television edit
- The first four episodes of the long-running TV panel show "What's My Line?" were broadcast from CBS Studio 41, which was located in an upstairs area of Grand Central Terminal. The episodes aired from February 20 to March 16 1950.
- In the hit 1980s cartoon The Real Ghostbusters, the protagonists visited the terminal three times. Once in the episode "Last Train To Oblivion", then in "Look Homeward Ray" and finally in "I Am The City". The Extreme Ghostbusters visited it in "Be Careful What You Wish For" and it featured incorrectly as Penn Station (to the point of featuring the long demolished Penn Station exterior and Grand Central's main concourse).
- During a segment on Robot Chicken, the protagonist of the skit tells a taxi driver the actual name of Grand Central Terminal. The scene continues on to her riding the Metro-North Railroad, saying that the Hudson Line rules, and that she saved $5 on a monthly UniTicket pass.
- Saturday Night Live uses it as a backdrop for its stage during monologues and performances. The mock-up also has an accurate listing of express stops on the New Haven Line on a small departure board.
- In the USA reality television show Cannonball Run 2001, Grand Central is the starting point for the transcontinental road rally, despite being a train station.
- In 2003, Grand Central was featured in the Peanuts home video, I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
- In Without a Trace, in the episode "Doppelgänger", the missing girlfriend took an Amtrak train south from GCT, despite the fact that Amtrak stopped service there ten years before the show debuted
Literature edit
- The 1981 novel Little, Big by John Crowley features a train station referred to only as "The Terminus", but because of the backwards constellations on its ceiling, it could only be Grand Central Terminal
- In the book A Stranger is Watching, Arty kidnaps Neil and Sharon and hides them in Grand Central Terminal
- Holden refers to Grand Central Station several times in The Catcher in the Rye.
Motion pictures edit
- In the 1970 movie Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Brent is brought before the city rulers for interrogation in the ruins of Grand Central Terminal.
- In the 1978 movie Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, Grand Central Terminal is depicted as having an abandoned section underground that is used as headquarters by Lex Luthor
- During a meteor shower, a meteor slams into the Grand Central Station, in the 1998 Movie Armageddon
- In the Ang Lee film The Ice Storm, Grand Central is where Tobey Maguire's character rushes to board the last train of the evening back to Connecticut
- The 2005 film Madagascar, Marty the Zebra arrives at the station and says, "Grand Central Station! It's grand and it's central!" The Metro-North Railroad and the New Haven Line in particular were also mentioned.
- In 2006, the proper name of Grand Central Terminal was the subject of a trick question in the movie Inside Man
- In the film Hackers, the five main characters rendevouz at Grand Central's lower level to set up and perform the most intrepid hack of their lives.
- A dream/fantasy sequence in The Fisher King features commuters at Grand Central spontaneously breaking into an elaborately choreographed dance.
- Grand Central features prominently in the 2006 Bollywood movie Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna
- In The Day After Tomorrow when Sam and his friends are in JD's apartment, they are watching the local news and realize that parts of Grand Central Station have been flooded. This results in a suspension of all trains, causing a problem for Sam, Laura, and Brian because they have to change their plans to driving.
- In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Clementine and Joel run through Grand Central Terminal.
- In Alfred Hitchcock's movie North by Northwest Cary Grant tries to flee New York on the Twentieth Century Limited from GCT after being taken for a murderer. There are film shots from behind the ticket window and railroad announcements to be heard.
Music edit
- The George M. Cohan song, "45 Minutes from Broadway", contains the verse, "Just hop on a train at the Grand Central Station."
- Bassist Larry Graham, best known for playing in Sly and the Family Stone, went on to form his own group called Graham Central Station.
- The song "The City" by Joe Purdy mentions Grand Central Station.
- In the song "One More Minute", Weird Al Yankovic claims that he would rather clean all the bathrooms in Grand Central Station with his tongue than spend any more time with a former romantic partner.
Games edit
- In the video game Spider-Man: The Movie it was used as the location of a battle against Spider-Man and the Scorpion and also the Shocker.
- In the video game True Crime: New York City, the game's finale takes place inside the terminal.
Pillows edit
- In recent years, pillow culture has embraced the image of Grand Central on many innovative designs, the most popular being pillows which read "Welcome to Grand Central Station."